Changes
by Riddle Wraith
Summary: Harry is bitten by Lupin in his third year, and he becomes a werewolf. How will these changes affect him? What will he do when he is forced to make a choice between being a blood-thirsty beast and relying on a man he loathes for the potion he needs?
1. The Infection

**Changes**

A Harry Potter fanfic written by Ignis Lupus/Doughnut_queen

**Warnings:** Violence, language, ect.

**Rating:** R for violence and language

**Summary:** Harry is bitten by Lupin in his third year, and he becomes a werewolf. How will these changes affect him? What will he do when he is forced to make a choice between being a blood-thirsty beast and relying on a man he loathes for the potion he needs?

**A/N:** This idea came to me while listening to one of my favorite songs. If you can't tell by the title, the song is "Changes" by 3 doors down. Before you say anything, no, this is not a songfic, because songfics have the lyrics of the songs in them. This was just inspired by the song. I like the idea of Harry being bitten by Lupin and becoming a werewolf after I thought about it, and I haven't seen the idea online so I figured "Eh, why not?" Let's see where this goes, shall we?

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters or the canon events. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and every character and canon event in it.

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**Ch. 1: The infection**

The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. Hermione sat with her face turned toward the Whomping Willow, waiting. Harry sat stock still, his muscles straining as he waited to jump up at any moment to do what they needed to do. They had already rescued Buckbeak. Now they just needed to wait until their other selves came out of the Willow and await the following events so they could rescue Sirius. Harry would be damned if he was going to let the Dementors kiss his godfather. He just got him back, just found out he was innocent, and he had even offered to let Harry stay with him once the charges were dropped. He wanted that home so badly, but Hermione still insisted they let events play out as they already had, like Dumbledore told them, until they were to rescue Sirius. If not, they risked being seen, and that was bad for every party involved.

"Here we come!" Hermione whispered suddenly, and Harry tensed. He and Hermione got to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head in response to see what was going on. They saw Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Next came Hermione, then the unconscious Snape drifting oddly upwards. Next came Harry and Sirius. They all began walking toward the castle. Harry's heart started to beat faster. He glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to drift aside and shower the ground in moonlight. If only they could just go over there and catch Pettigrew while the others were distracted…

"Harry," Hermione muttered as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do!" she said urgently, and Harry glared at her.

"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again?" he hissed back, ignoring Hermione's annoyed look.

"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" Hermione snapped. "There's nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius; we're not supposed to do anything else!"

"All right!" Harry snapped back, and turned his attention back to the scene that was unfolding. The moon suddenly slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures that were moving across the grounds stop. Then, they saw erratic movement from almost every figure.

"There goes Lupin," Hermione whispered. "He's transforming." Harry looked and the man was indeed transforming. Then, a horrible thought occurred to Harry as he saw his godfather launch himself at the werewolf in dog form. Suddenly, before he could say anything, the huge figure was bounding toward the forest, right towards them.

"Hermione! We've got to move!" Harry said frantically.

"We mustn't, I keep telling you-" she started, obviously not seeing the huge thing coming toward them.

"Not to interfere! I know, but Lupin's running into the forest right at us!" Harry said, and Hermione gasped.

"Quick!" she moaned, dashing to untie Buckbeak. "Quick! Where are we going to hide? The Dementors will be coming any moment!" She said, and Harry spoke up right away.

"Back to Hagrid's! It's empty now, come on!" He said, and they rushed frantically toward it, but it was too late. They heard the werewolf howling not ten feet away from them and Hermione screamed, drawing the attention of the now transformed Professor Lupin. Frantic, Harry hoisted Hermione up onto Buckbeak and told her to hold on. He was about to climb up on him as well when a growling made him turn around. Lupin was upon them and Harry turned his wand on him, trying to think of a spell to repel the werewolf. Before he could so much as shout an incantation the werewolf's huge paw slashed down, catching Buckbeak on the rear and making the animal rear backward, a frightened Hermione just holding on by the feathers, and tear forward into the forest. Lupin made to run after them and Harry used a blasting curse to get his attention. With a growl, the wolf lunged for him instead, snapping his jaws.

Harry raised his wand arm automatically to shield his face and suddenly let out a horrible scream as the creature bit into his flesh. He noticed nothing but the pain as he took his wand out of his useless wand hand and jabbed the werewolf in the eye with it, stumbling backward as the creature reared and released him, howling while pawing at his eye. Without thinking, he tore back toward Hagrid's hut, wanting nothing more than to get away from his transformed professor. The sound of padding behind him made him frantic, and he stopped just around a tree, waiting for the werewolf to pass him before he shot another blasting curse at him and tore in a different direction. He could see Hagrid's hut, and though he could still hear the creature behind him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at the small hut. As he finally got within range of the hut, the padding was really close, but before he could turn his head to see how close the creature was, he felt huge claws tearing open his back.

He screamed again, falling face forward and only able to stop himself with his good arm. He rolled over hurriedly, cringing as he felt dirt entering the wounds on his back, and shot a blasting curse at Lupin's eye, the same one he had jabbed, and he scrambled up while the creature was still distracted, wrenched the door of the hut open, and stumbled inside. The door was shut behind him as he fell to the floor, and he didn't bother to try to get up. He heard the huge wooden bolt of the back door being slammed into place. Good. Lupin couldn't get in.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione's quivering voice came from behind him. He tried to sit up, but his back screamed in protest and he flopped back down to the floor involuntarily.

"Hermione. Do you remember that spell? The one Professor Lupin used for Ron?" Harry asked, looking at his arm and trying not to vomit.

"Y-yes. But Harry, we have to get you back up to the castle-" Hermione started, but Harry interrupted.

"No, Hermione! We need to save Sirius! Use the spell for my arm and my back! Please! This is why we came back, isn't it?" he asked, finally sitting up and glaring at her though it took all of his self control not to scream.

"F-fine. _F-ferula!_" Hermione said, pointing at Harry's back first. He felt the wounds being wrapped tightly and resisted the urge to scream as he felt the dirt being ground into them. She did the same to his arm, and as soon as she was done, he got up, took off his ruined hospital shirt, and looked out the window. Lupin seemed to have gone.

"Sirius!" Harry said suddenly. It would be happening soon. He and Sirius would be in trouble and Harry would see his dad rescue them. Before Hermione could say anything, Harry was rushing back out the door toward the lake, and Hermione followed him, trying to get him to come back. He ignored her, however, as he came upon the scene of himself and Sirius across the lake. He was already failing. His weak Patronuses were doing nothing. Any minute now…

"Harry, what are you doing? We can't be seen!" She said, but he shushed her. He watched the scene with a horrified fascination. His dad would appear any second. One of the Dementors swooped down, lowering his hood. It was time for the rescuer to appear, but no one was coming. Suddenly, he was hit by a thought. It wasn't his father he had seen. He had seen _himself_! He rushed out before Hermione could protest.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" he yelled. Out of his the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. He screwed up his eyes trying to see what it was. It looked somewhat like a horse, and it was galloping silently away from him, across the black surface of the lake. He saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming Dementors. Now it was galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, and the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness. It was then that Hermione found her voice.

"What were you thinking? I told you over and over _not_ to interfere!" she yelled, but he grabbed her by the shoulders.

"But Hermione, you don't get it! It wasn't my dad that I saw across the lake! It was me! I just thought it was him!" Harry said, and he hugged her. Hermione was stunned, but when she spoke up, it sounded awed.

"Harry, look." She said, pointing behind him. He turned to see the Patronus cantering back towards them over the still surface of the water. It wasn't a horse. It wasn't a unicorn, either. It was a stag. It was shining as brightly as the moon above. It was coming back to him. It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. And suddenly, Harry realized something.

"_Prongs._" He whispered. As his trembling fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished. Harry stood there, hand still outstretched. Then, Hermione spoke up behind him.

"Harry, I can't believe it! You conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those Dementors! That's very, _very_ advanced magic!" Hermione said excitedly, practically bouncing on her heels.

"I knew I could do it this time because I'd already done it! Does that make any sense?" Harry asked, but Hermione wasn't paying attention. She was looking elsewhere.

"I don't know! Harry, look at Snape!" Hermione said, pointing across the lake. Harry looked, but at the same time Hermione pulled him into a bush and out of sight so they couldn't be seen. They peered around the bush around the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Harry, Hermione, and Sirius onto them. A fourth stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them away toward the castle.

"Right, it's nearly time," Hermione said tensely, looking at her watch. "We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realizes we're missing." Hermione said, glancing down at her watch again impatiently. They waited for a few minutes, and Harry spoke up.

"D' you reckon he's up there yet?" Harry asked, checking his watch. He looked up at the castle and began counting the windows to the right of the West Tower.

"Look!" Hermione whispered. "Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"

Harry stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, toward one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted in his belt.

"Macnair!" Harry said. "The executioner! He's gone to get the Dementors! This is it, Hermione!"

She and Harry raced back to Hagrid's cabin and wrenched open the door, pulling the reluctant Buckbeak hurriedly out the door. Harry hurriedly tied the other end of Buckbeak's rope to his collar, jumping up on him and pulling Hermione up behind him.

"Hermione, hold on to me!" Harry said, and when he felt her grab him around the waist, he nudged Buckbeak's sides with his heels. Buckbeak took a running start and jumped up into the air, causing his riders to lurch but not fall off. Harry gripped his flanks with his knees, feeling the great wings rising powerfully beneath them. Hermione's grip around his waist was really tight around his waist and he could hear her muttering behind him.

"Oh, no. I don't like this. Oh, I _really_ don't like this."

Harry urged Buckbeak forward. They were gliding quietly toward the upper floors of the castle. Harry pulled hard on the left side of the rope, and Buckbeak turned. Harry was trying to count the windows flashing past, and suddenly he saw it.

"Woah!" he said, pulling back on the rope as hard as he could and making Buckbeak slow to a stop within a matter of seconds. They floated up to his window a few seconds later. He reached out to the glass as Buckbeak's wings fell and was able to tap sharply on the glass. Sirius looked up. Harry saw his jaw drop. He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Stand back!" Hermione called to him, and she took out her wand, still gripping Harry hard around the middle with her left arm. "_Alohomora!_" she yelled, and the window sprang open.

"How…how…" Sirius said weakly, staring at the hippogriff.

"Get on! There's not much time!" Harry said, gripping Buckbeak firmly on either side of his neck to hold him steady. "You've got to get out of here! The Dementors are coming! Macnair's gone to get them!" Harry said urgently. Black placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was very lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he managed to fling one leg over Buckbeak's back and pull himself onto the hippogriff behind Hermione.

"Okay Buckbeak, up!" Harry said, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower! Come on!"

The hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and they were soaring upward again, high as the top of the West Tower. Buckbeak landed with a clatter on the battlements, and Harry and Hermione slid off him at once.

"Sirius, you'd better go, quick," Harry panted, "They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you're gone."

Buckbeak pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head.

"What happened to the other boy, Ron? And what happened to you?" he asked, eyes widening as he noticed Harry's bandages.

"Ron's fine. He's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she can help him, and it's nothing. You need to go!" Harry said urgently, waving him off.

But black was still staring down at Harry.

"Harry, get some help for yourself, and fast. And thank you." Black said with a concerned smile.

"Go!" Harry and Hermione shouted together. Black wheeled Buckbeak around, facing the open sky.

"We'll see each other again," he said. "You are…truly your father's son, Harry…"

He squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. Harry and Hermione jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more. The hippogriff took off into the air quickly. As Harry and Hermione gazed after them, they got smaller and smaller until they disappeared.

Ch. End


	2. Getting Back

**Ch. 2: Getting Back**

"Harry! We need to go! We have exactly ten minutes to get back to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us! Before Dumbledore locks that door!" Hermione said urgently.

"Okay, let's go!" He said, running toward the staircase with her right beside him. "Hermione, do you remember that spell you used to fix my glasses? The one on the train?" Harry asked as they raced through the corridors.

"Yes, Harry! Why?" She asked, almost panting.

"I need you to repair my pajama shirt. If they see it's torn and they see my bandages they'll know we've been out!" Harry said, handing her the ruined shirt as they ran.

"But Harry, you really need to get those looked at-" Hermione started, but Harry interrupted.

"Later, I promise! Tonight I need to be fine so we won't be suspected!" Harry said urgently, and Hermione finally gave in. She cast the spell, and when the shirt knitted itself back together, she handed it back to them. Harry stopped for only a second and slipped it on. After that, he started running again. As they ran down a corridor, they heard voices and had to duck into an alcove, listening. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.

"…only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last. I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape, and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him." Fudge said, and Harry could almost hear the smile in his voice. Harry clenched his teeth. He caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed Harry and Hermione's hiding place. Their footsteps died away. Harry and Hermione waited a few moments to make sure they were really gone, then they started to run again, hurrying toward the hospital wing. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor, then they heard cackling ahead.

"_Peeves!_" Harry hissed, grabbing Hermione's wrist and pulling her into and abandoned classroom, and just in time, it seemed. Outside, they could hear Peeves bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off.

"Oh, he's horrible," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish off Sirius." She checked her watch. "Three minutes, Harry!"

They waited until Peeve's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again.

"Hermione…what'll happen…if we don't get back inside…before Dumbledore locks the door?" Harry panted.

"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!"

They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance.

"Okay. I can hear Dumbledore," Hermione said tensely. "Come on, Harry!"

They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.

"I am going to lock you in," they heard him saying. "It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Harry and Hermione ran forward. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache.

"Well?" he asked quietly.

"We did it! Sirius has gone on Buckbeak!" Harry said breathlessly. Dumbledore beamed at them.

"Well done. I think…" He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone too. Get inside, I'll lock you in."

Harry and Hermione slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind them, Harry and Hermione crept back to their own beds, Hermione tucking the time turner back under her pajama shirt. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

She was in a very bad mood. Harry and Hermione thought it best to accept their chocolate quietly. Madam Pomfrey stood over them, making sure they ate it. But Harry could hardly swallow. He and Hermione were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling. And then, as they both took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, they heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them.

"What was that?" Madam Pomfrey asked in alarm. Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door. "Really! They'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

Harry was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer.

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out-"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE _OR_ DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH POTTER!"

"Severus, be reasonable! Harry has been locked up."

BAM.

The door of the hospital wing burst open. Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry, but Snape was beside himself.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw-"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.

"Calm down man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT-"

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" Madam Pomfrey said, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced, said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day with this! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well…I'd better go notify the Ministry."

"And the Dementors?" asked Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "I never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy. They are completely out of control. I'll have them packed off to Azkaban tonight. Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance."

"Hagrid would like that," Dumbledore said, smiling at Harry and Hermione. As he and Fudge left the ward, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office. Harry lay back on the bed, hissing as he forgot about the slashes on his back.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked, jumping up out of her bed.

"I'm…fine…" he grunted, gritting his teeth.

"Oh, this could get bad. I have to go tell Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said, and Harry shook his head frantically.

"No…not yet…I'll…tell the headmaster…once we get out of here…no one else…can know." Harry said, his left hand clenching his right arm.

"Harry, I'll ask her to only tell the headmaster, but you need help! Those could get infected!" Hermione said, and Harry still shook his head.

"Hermione, you don't understand…Snape would know. They'd know we were out." He whispered urgently.

"Harry, I can make up an excuse! I can say that Professor Snape didn't see them or something. I don't know, but you can't just walk out of here like that Harry. The scratches on your back could be fatal if they were to get infected or bleed enough, and your arm…" Hermione stopped and gasped. "You…Harry! You were bitten!" Hermione said, her hand over her mouth. Harry opened his mouth to argue again, and then stopped. She was right. He was bitten. He was infected! He would be a werewolf! He looked at her stricken face and turned away.

"Go…tell her. Please. Just…tell her only the headmaster can know." Harry said quietly, ashamed. Why hadn't he realized it sooner? He heard Hermione rush off to Madam Pomfrey's office, and just a minute later, he heard her shouting.

"Of all the hare brained-Why on earth would you hide injuries like that?" Madam Pomfrey yelled, storming out of her office and toward Harry's bed.

"We didn't want Professor Lupin to be in more trouble! Please, Madam Pomfrey! You can only tell Professor Dumbledore! He's the only one who can know!" Hermione pleaded, and it sounded like she was crying.

"Well of course he has to know, but the ministry has to know too, you know!" she said, and Harry sat up and looked at her. He already looked worn out and beaten down.

"Madam Pomfrey. Please…don't tell the Ministry yet. If they have to know, let Professor Dumbledore tell them. Please…just tell him. I can't have Professor Lupin's career ruined like this. I can't have my _life_ ruined like this." Harry said, looking at her imploringly. She shook her head and grumbled.

"Fine, Mr. Potter, as you wish. But I shall be treating your wounds before I call anyone." She said, and with that she rushed off to her office to get supplies.

"Ha. I guess it's a good thing Ron didn't wake up." Harry said quietly, and wouldn't you know it, Ron woke up to the sound of his name.

"Someone say my name? Hey guys! What happened? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?" Ron asked, looking around. Harry shook his head and sighed.

"You tell him…about most of it…" Harry said with a meaningful look, and Hermione shook her head.

"Harry, he has to know. He's your friend." Hermione protested, and Harry shook his head again.

"The less people that know, the better. Please Hermione. I might tell him later, but please don't tell him yet?" Harry plead, and Hermione sighed.

"Fine, it's your secret." She said quietly, and went over to explain most of the events that happened tonight. When Madam Pomfrey came out, she cast a silencing charm on the door to the ward so nothing could be heard outside it and went to Harry's bed with a cart full of medical supplies.

"Madam Pomfrey…" Harry started, looking over at Ron.

"I suppose you don't want him to know yet either, Mr. Potter?" She asked, and Harry shook his head. "Very well." She said, and with a wave of her wand, Ron fell back asleep, and Hermione looked around to find the source of Ron's sudden bout of sleep. When she saw Madam Pomfrey remove Harry's shirt with a wave of her wand, she understood. Shaking her head, she lay down in another bed a little away from Harry's so she wouldn't disturb him and a little away from Ron's so she wouldn't have to listen to his snoring. After a few hours, Hermione was asleep and Madam Pomfrey sat down, exhausted.

"Well, Mr. Potter. I've done all I can do for you. The wounds on your back have been dealt with easily enough, but there will be scarring. As for your arm…" she started, and Harry shook his head.

"I saw. The magic wouldn't work on it. You just cleaned it and bandaged it after you made sure everything was in place." He said, meaning all the small, torn pieces of flesh, though he wouldn't say that aloud. "Thanks." He said, and he sighed. "You can go rest now, Madam Pomfrey. I promise none of us will run off." He said, trying to smile but failing.

"Not yet, Mr. Potter. I will be flooing Albus now that I've done what I can for you, and he can come see for himself." She said, and with that she got up and went to her office. He lay back down, but after a few minutes he head the office door open and Madam Pomfrey's voice came through. "Right over there, Albus. Go see for yourself." She said, and Harry sat up. Dumbledore strode toward him.

"Harry, Madam Pomfrey said you had something you wished to tell me?" Dumbledore asked kindly, though he looked with concern at the bandages.

"You didn't tell him?" Harry asked the medi-witch, and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but this is between you and the headmaster, after all. I'll just be in my office." She said, and strode away, leaving the two of them essentially alone after the sound of the office door closing.

"Harry? What in the world happened to your arm?" he asked, still looking concerned. He didn't notice Harry's back as it was not facing him.

"I…well sir…we…we told you that Professor Lupin transformed tonight, and…" Harry said, shaking his head. Dumbledore frowned.

"And what, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, and thought Harry was pretty sure he knew what Harry meant, Harry knew he needed to say it out loud.

"I was bitten…by Professor Lupin…while he was transformed." Harry said the last part quietly, and he couldn't look at Professor Dumbledore anymore.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier, Harry?" he asked, and Harry sighed.

"Because it didn't happen before the last time we talked to you. I mean, it did, but…you know what I mean, Professor. After that, we didn't have time." Harry said helplessly, now looking up at Dumbledore who looked sad.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sorry this had to happen to you." Dumbledore said, and he truly looked it.

"I'm not." Harry was surprised to hear himself say. Dumbledore looked at him curiously.

"And why is that, Harry?" he asked. Harry considered the question before he answered, and he came to a conclusion he seemed to have known when he made the bold statement.

"Because if we hadn't gone back, we couldn't have saved Sirius or Buckbeak, so I'm not." Harry said firmly. Dumbledore almost smiled, but a grim look crossed his face.

"You realize, Harry, that Professor Snape will find this all very suspicious, Harry." Dumbledore said with a frown, and Harry's eyes widened.

"But why does he have to know, sir?" Harry asked quickly.

"Because, Harry. Someone has to make the Wolfsbane potion for you now as well. By the next full moon your arm will be healed as well as it can be and you will be able to transform." Dumbledore said sadly, and Harry realized with a growing horror that he was right. He would have to rely on Snape just to survive! "I will inform Severus, Harry, when the time is right. After the Ministry has left, I will tell him. Until then, Harry, I suggest you sleep. Stay in the hospital wing until Poppy sees fit to release you, and if you so desire, a few more days. It is, after all, almost the end of term. I do not know your circumstances well, but I am sure you will want to be alone for a few days to sort out the matter. By the way Harry, I think it is only right to tell Remus what has transpired. Would you like to tell him, or shall I?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry felt a jolt in his heart.

"He's…probably not back yet, Professor. When he is…will you just…let me know? I think…I think I want to tell him." Harry said, feeling unsure. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell Remus himself, but he knew the man needed to know, and he knew he didn't want anyone else to tell him.

"I will do so, Harry. And do not worry about Professor Lupin. We will send out a search party when the sun is close to rising. Now, once again, Harry, I believe you should sleep. I will be on my way." Dumbledore said, and with that he strode back toward Madam Pomfrey's office. Harry took Dumbledore's advice to lie down and rest, not bothering to put his pajama shirt back on and pulling the bed covers up to his chin. He took his glasses off and set them on the bedside table, falling into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, his dreams were fitful and nightmarish. He kept dreaming he had transformed and he was being chased by muggles with torches, and Peter Pettigrew was there as well, leading the mob. He tossed and turned, and he sweat profusely, despite the light blanket and cool ward. When he awoke suddenly out of a nightmare, he shot up to find himself face to face with Ron and Hermione.

"You okay mate? You look horrible." Ron said, a concerned look on his face.

"Gee, thanks mate." Harry answered dryly, but added, "But yeah. I'm fine mate. Just a bit of a nightmare. Last night was…rough."

"I bet. Hermione told me what you guys did. That was brilliant!" Ron said, and Harry looked up at Ron and nodded.

"Yeah, it was, but we couldn't have done it without Dumbledore." Harry said with a forced grin, and Ron agreed fervently. Hermione cleared her throat.

"Harry. We…we've been released. Madam Pomfrey said you have to stay for a bit longer." Hermione said nervously, and Ron looked at the bandage.

"Tough luck, mate, getting gored by a bunch of sharp rocks. You'd think Madam Pomfrey would be able to fix it right up." Ron said with a shrug. Hermione's cheeks turned red.

"Not if they're magical rocks." Hermione said defensively, and Harry fought the insane urge to laugh. Now was not the time to blow his excuse, however weak and hilarious it might be. He just could not believe Ron _actually_ believed it. He would tell him, sooner or later, but he really preferred later. When Ron and Hermione left, he took a cloth out of a small washbowl beside his bed and wiped himself down a bit, trying to get the sweat off. Madam Pomfrey came out and saw what he was doing and decided to help, after which she changed his sweaty sheets with a flick of her wand and asked him to lie back down. He obliged, and fell asleep once more, and mercifully, he didn't have any nightmares this time.

Ch. End


	3. Detained

**Ch. 3: Detained**

Harry had spent all day in the hospital wing when he woke again, he heard Professor Lupin's voice down the hallway. He was talking to Dumbledore.

"I'm fine, headmaster, really. I want to see him." Came Lupin's voice.

"Well, if you really feel that you must, I will leave you two alone." Dumbledore said, stopping outside the ward.

"Thank you, headmaster." The professor said, but when he turned toward the ward, he paused for a second. When he came in, his face was a picture of concern. Behind them, they heard Dumbledore magically lock the door and Harry saw the door glow a bright blue for a moment, and he recognized the silencing charm Madam Pomfrey had used earlier.

"Harry. What happened? The headmaster hadn't told me you were injured. I could smell the blood from down the hall, but I didn't think it was yours." He said, sitting beside Harry's bed. Harry sat up and smiled.

"It's nothing." Harry lied, shaking his head.

"Harry, it isn't nothing. Please, tell me I didn't do this to you." Lupin said, and Harry could see the stress in his face as he ran his hands through is shaggy hair. In fact, he didn't know why but he could almost…smell the fear coming off the man. He was genuinely afraid he had bitten Harry. Harry ignored his newly honing senses to smile at Lupin.

"Professor…I…" Harry started, and he almost couldn't continue. "It wasn't your fault." Harry finally said firmly, staring Lupin right in the eyes.

"But if I would have just-" Lupin said, but Harry interrupted.

"Professor! You were preoccupied! Anyone would understand that!" Harry said, moving his legs over the left side of his bed and standing up.

"Harry, what are you doing? You should be in bed!" Lupin said, standing up to help him back into said bed. Harry ignored the man's words and hugged him tightly, earning surprise from the older man.

"Like I said, it really is okay." Harry said, hugging the man tightly although it hurt with his arm the way it was. When he finally released him, he was surprised to find tears and a smile on Lupin's face.

"…Thank you, Harry. I really needed that." He said, and hugged the teen back. Harry smiled into the hug, burying his face in the man's robes. After a few minutes, the hug ended and Lupin looked down at Harry still smiling and wiped his face. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I need to go pack." He said kindly, and Harry started.

"Pack? Why?" he asked, his heart pounding. He didn't want Lupin to leave.

"Well, the truth about my…condition…was released to the public. Severus took the loss of the Order of Merlin hard last night, and he, er, accidentally let it slip that I was a werewolf this morning at breakfast." Lupin said with a sad smile.

"You haven't been sacked?" Harry asked, outraged.

"No, Harry. I've resigned. I expect that once the parents find out, the owls will start coming in by this time tomorrow. They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, and after last night I see their point. I'm still…so sorry." Lupin said, the end in hoarce a whisper.

"Don't, Professor." Harry said, shaking his head.

"No, not Professor anymore Harry. You may call me Remus now, if you like." Remus said kindly, and though he smiled down at Harry it was a sad smile.

"But you're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Harry said, hugging the man again and burying his face in Remus' robes. "Don't go!" Lupin shook his head, but didn't speak. When Harry finally pulled away from him again, Remus thought it prudent to change the subject.

"From what the headmaster told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Harry. If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much you've learned. Tell me about your Patronus." Remus said with a smile, earning a smile from Harry as well.

"How did you know about that?" he asked, amazed.

"What else could have driven the Dementors back?" Remus asked, and Harry quickly told him what happened. When he finished, Remus' smile was wider. "Yes, your father was a stag when he transformed. You guessed right. That's why we called him prongs." Remus said, his smile tinged with sadness again. "Oh, by the way, I brought this from the shrieking shack last night," he said, taking a bundle out of his robes and handing Harry back the invisibility cloak. "And…" he hesitated, then held out the Marauder's map as well. "I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you this back as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it." He said, smiling at Harry mischievously. Harry took the map and grinned.

"You told me that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school…you said they'd have thought it was funny." Harry said, still grinning.

"And so we would have," said Remus, ruffling Harry's hair. "I have no hesitation in saying that James would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle." Remus said, and looking at the clock on the wall, sighed. "I apologize, Harry, but I must be on my way. I still have many things to pack." He said, hugging Harry once more before releasing him quickly.

"Can I write you?" Harry asked, looking up at Remus with hope.

"Yes, of course you can, Harry. I daresay dear Padfoot will want to write you as well. Just ask us if you ever need anything." Remus said, smiling before he turned to the door of the hospital wing and magically unlocked it, taking the silencing spell off after.

"Bye Remus. Please keep in touch." Harry said as the man went through the doorway. Remus didn't answer, but Harry understood. The man didn't want to leave anymore than he wanted him to. Harry set his cloak and map on his bed as a pretense for wiping his eyes on the sheet as he teared up. He had gotten closer to the man than he thought, and he could smell his sadness even from here. Harry smiled at that, not at the sadness, of course, but being able to smell and decipher it. He explored his new senses a bit. He could faintly hear people walking along the stone corridors all over the castle, he could smell not only the room around him with the mixed smells of the cleaners, medical potions, and Ron and Hermione's scent still mixed in, but different smells from different people as well. He wondered how Remus dealt with this every day.

He knew that if he ever smelled something bad, he would smell it longer than anyone else because he would be able to smell it before them, but it would be roughly ten times worse. As it was, he could already smell the drying blood on his repaired pajama shirt, and it smelled irony and kind of tangy. He suddenly smelled something coming closer. It smelled kind of greasy, and a bit like mixed old potions.

"Oh no." Harry moaned. Snape! Then, he smelled someone else with him. Someone that smelled like lemon drops, and oddly, like old man. Harry almost burst out laughing. It had to be Dumbledore. At least Harry didn't have to deal with Snape alone. He heard the two talking quietly as they got closer.

"…Headmaster, I am sure Poppy has enough healing potions left for Potter. In fact, why is he still there? Granger and Weasley have been released. Maybe he's just trying to get more attention by acting like he's really hurt." Snape sneered.

"Now now, my boy, you shall see when we get there. I daresay you and Mr. Potter will have to develop a somewhat closer relationship under the…circumstances." Dumbledore said, and as they reached the doors, Snape replied suspiciously.

"What circumstances, headmaster? What are you playing at?" He asked, and Dumbledore just opened the doors to the ward and ushered the man in, closing the door, magically locking it, and placing a silencing charm on it once again. Snape, however, only had eyes for Harry and his bandaged arm.

"So, you were out last night, Potter." Snape said, his eyes glinting. Harry could smell the glee radiating off him.

"No, Professor! This happened while you were unconscious! We repaired my robe so Professor Lupin wouldn't get in more trouble!" Harry said, realizing too late that he said something he had never meant to. Now, he could smell the anger rolling off the man.

"Trouble for what, Potter?" the man asked, positively shaking with anger as he took a step toward him.

"N-nothing! Never mind! It isn't important!" Harry said quickly, shaking his head. Snape when to speak, but Dumbledore held up a hand.

"Now Harry, you will have to tell Professor Snape the truth some time if you want his help." Dumbledore said, and Harry glared at him then looked down at the stone floor.

"The truth about what, Potter? Just what did Lupin do to you that you need my help for?" Snape asked, and Harry could still feel the anger rolling off the man. Harry knew that Snape had to have guessed by now, and he would have thought the man would be happy to have one more thing to hold over Harry, but he was seething. Harry gulped. He knew the man wanted him to say it. How many times was he going to have to say it in one day?

"When Professor Lupin…when he was transformed…after you were knocked out, Sirius was fighting him, but then, he came at us, and…and he…" Harry said, trying his hardest to continue with the lie. He wouldn't tell Snape how it really happened. "He bit me." Harry said at last in a whisper.

"You see, headmaster! How many times did I tell you that hiring a werewolf was a bad idea!" Snape said triumphantly, looking at the headmaster. "He infected a student! It was bad enough that he was out rampaging on the grounds last night near any number of innocent people that could have been out there, and some not so innocent students." Snape glared at Harry. "But he actually infected one! Potter, in fact!" Snape said, angry again. "You cannot deny it now, headmaster! He must leave! If anything like this were to ever happen again, who knows what innocent people could be hurt next time, or killed?" Snape raged, and Harry glared at him.

"It wasn't his fault! He was preoccupied! Seeing someone that is supposed to be dead alive kind of distracts you, Professor!" Harry said, the last word filled with as much contempt as he could muster.

"You want to be careful, Potter. If you want to be safe to be around your loving family for the summer holidays, I would show a little more respect to your superiors." Snape said silkily.

"There are so many things wrong with that sentence." Harry said, and Dumbledore looked at him reproachfully.

"Now, Harry-" Dumbledore started, but Harry interrupted him.

"No, headmaster. Don't even start with me right now." Harry said coldly, his anger flaring up as his eyes started to turn a beautiful shade of gold. "You know, better than anyone, though, don't you headmaster? I would rather _not_ be safe around my, as he so ignorantly put it, _loving_ family. You saw what they do to me. Do _not_ play innocent." He growled, looking at Dumbledore. As he continued, he looked at Snape. "And maybe I would show you respect, Professor, if you weren't such an arse to me all the time for something my father and his friends did to you years ago! I am _not_ James Potter, nor will I _ever_ be! And as for superior, don't insult me. At least I don't take a perverse pleasure in insulting someone younger than me for something he's never done! Both of you need to get your heads on straight before you even try to lecture me!" Harry said savagely, taking a threatening step toward them.

"Potter, how dare you speak to the headmaster and I in such a disrespectful way? Sit down, Potter!" Snape spat, grabbing Harry by the shoulders. Harry growled at him, his eyes turning that golden color once again.

"Take your hands off me, Snape, before I do it myself." He threatened, and he was surprised when the man actually released him and stepped back, showing momentary fear. Without another word, and before they could stop him, Harry strode over to the hospital wing doors, wrenching them open and breaking free of the magic. He left the hospital wing running, taking long, bounding strides down the corridor. This was great! He was even faster than normal! He ignored the stares of people as he turned corner after corner, racing down corridors at random. He just needed to get away from the two people he was most pissed at right now. And the best part was he would notice them far faster than they would notice him, and he would smell and hear them coming.

They couldn't apparate in the castle, so they couldn't just pop up beside him either. With a smile, he bounded up random flights of stairs, still running down corridors at random, until he ended up at the top of the astronomy tower. With a smile, he lay back on the cool stone, listening to the sounds of nature and the castle combined. He couldn't hear either Dumbledore or Snape, so he knew they weren't anywhere near him. No! He'd left his invisibility cloak and the marauder's map in the hospital wing! The map was blank at the moment, so he knew they couldn't find him right now, but Ron and Hermione knew how to activate it, and if Dumbledore said he had gone missing, his friends wouldn't hesitate to activate it, even in front of their most hated teacher, to find him!

Damn. He needed to get off the grounds for awhile then. He didn't want to leave Hogwarts. He really didn't. Damn! He had left his wand too! Then he noticed something odd. He had left his glasses! The whole time, and he hadn't noticed! He could see! He could bloody see without his glasses! He almost whooped for joy before he remembered the predicament he was in. He had no way to defend himself. Dumbledore probably had his wand by now, and his cloak, glasses, and map too! Three of his five most prized possessions. He needed to go back to Gryffindor tower and get his Firebolt at least, before they got their hands on it and had another bargaining chip against him. He would leave his parent's photo album because he couldn't bloody well carry it with him. He would just magically lock his truck, although it wouldn't keep Dumbledore or really even Snape out.

And he didn't have his wand. Bloody hell, this was going to be harder than he thought. Why couldn't they teach wandless magic or something? He wasn't planning on running away forever or even a few days. He just needed to be away from them for a few hours. He got up finally and raced his way back to Gryffindor tower, coming within roughly three miles of Snape and Dumbledore, but no more, as he finally made it to the tower. And he wasn't even out of breath yet! He shouted the password to a stunned fat lady, who swung forward immediately. As everyone was in class except the 5th years and up who had break right now, Harry didn't have to deal with many people at all, and indeed none of the people in his dorm. He hurried to his trunk, changing into muggle clothes and not bothering with his robes as he grabbed his Firebolt and sniffed around. Still the same people in the common room, same people in the dorms, and no one yet close enough to Gryffindor tower to catch him.

Perfect! He ran back through, ignoring questions from the older years and running straight out the portrait hole. His goal was to get back to the astronomy tower and fly from there, but as he got closer to it, he smelled Ron up there. He smelled like dirt, food, and strangely he still smelled like rat. His friends must already be looking up for him, and now they were waiting for him there, expecting him to return. Did Ron have the map, and if not, who did? He stopped in mid-run and changed direction, shooting for the west tower instead. He was halfway there, when once again he smelled one of his friends. Hermione. She smelled like fresh ink, old library books, and fresh parchment. Harry smiled for a moment, but changed direction again. They were trying to corner him. He ran in random directions, trying to find a window big enough to fly out of while also avoiding anyone he smelled.

Suddenly, he remembered. The owlry! They might not know what he was doing yet, and the owlry had a huge window for the owls to fly out of, and he didn't think they would expect him to go up there. He changed direction again and shot off to the south, his warning senses going off as he got closer and closer to Snape's scent. He was going to have to bypass him. As he got closer to the owlry, however, his head started to swim. He slowed his running, trying to breathe, when suddenly a sweet smell entered his nostrils. What was that? It smelled…wonderful. He soon noticed nothing but that smell and he slowed to a walk, trying to follow it. He absentmindedly gripped his broomstick as he blindly followed the scent. It covered up every other smell and consumed him. He needed to find the source! He stumbled as he walked, and the smell led him into an abandoned classroom.

There he saw a cauldron, and rising out of it was a vapor. That potion was producing the smell. This set off the alarms in Harry's head, but he couldn't figure out why. He was suddenly hit from behind with a spell, and the next thing he knew, he was in the hospital wing again, but now he was chained down. He started to struggle when Hermione spoke up beside him.

"Harry, calm down! The chains are magical. You can't break them. You need to calm down so we can explain-"

"Explain what? That you betrayed me? That you sold me out and let them use my own map to find me? Don't talk to me!" He roared at her, causing her to flinch back.

"Calm down, mate! We're just trying to help you! Why are you being such a prat?" Ron asked, and Harry glared at him.

"Chaining me to a bed is helping me?" He roared, growling at Ron.

"It is when you are a danger to yourself and everyone around you, Mr. Potter." Said a silky voice, and Harry groaned. "You are currently suffering from the mood swings that everyone in the first stages of lycanthropy go through. You need to be restrained so that you do not hurt yourself nor anyone else in a fit of rage."

"Lycanthropy…he's a werewolf?" Ron asked, looking from Harry to Snape. Snape's lip curled.

"So, you didn't tell your little friends, Potter?" Snape asked, sneering.

"Hell no! Do you think I want everyone to know what I've become?" Harry asked, and Ron looked hurt.

"But I'm your best friend, mate! Why couldn't you have told me?" Ron asked, shaking his head.

"Apparently friendship doesn't mean much to him, Weasley. I wouldn't get your hopes up that he isn't hiding anything else either." Snape sneered, and Harry glared at him.

"Shut up! You know _nothing_ about me!" Harry roared at Snape, his eyes golden again as he got angry. He strained against the chains but they wouldn't give.

"I would suggest, Potter, that you not strain yourself. You will not break these chains. I would also suggest showing the proper respect to the one who's going to be brewing the potion that will keep you sane during the day of the full moon every month; the potion that you will be taking for the rest of your life. Especially considering that same person is the one who holds the key to your freedom from those chains." Snape sneered, his lip curling. Harry slumped, defeated. He almost laughed at the absurd thought that he was almost always locked up, and someone else always had the key. It was true, but it didn't help the situation at all. He knew Snape was right. His life and sanity were going to depend on Snape, and even then he would still be sent back to the Dursleys to be starved. He wouldn't doubt it if they even tried to withhold his potions from him, or worse yet, dump them down the drain and burn the bottles in the dead of night.

Then they would defiantly be in trouble. No small muggle locks were going to hold back a werewolf. He doubted they would even hold him back now, at his increased strength in his human form. He could get out of his room whenever he wanted. Ron and Hermione seemed to sigh in relief when Harry desisted struggling. He turned his head away from either of them. He didn't want to face them. He still felt like they had betrayed him and he wasn't going to forgive them easily or quickly.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, laying a hand on his arm.

"Don't touch me!" he growled, still not looking at her. He felt her jerk her hand back. He could smell the sadness radiating off her at that, and Ron's anger at him for the reaction. Good, she should be sad. And Ron had no right to be angry. He wasn't helping him. Neither was she. They were just enabling the sadistic bastard who he would now owe his sanity to every month to chain him to a bed for his own perverse pleasure. He would taunt him mercilessly before he was through, of that Harry was sure. He undoubtedly hated the man with a passion, and nothing would change that at the best of times.

"It would be best if the two of you left for the time being. We wouldn't want to break up the dream team, now would we?" Snape sneered, and Harry laughed, much to the surprise of the other three.

"Break up what? You two are nothing to me." Harry hissed, glaring at them. "The only reason Ron ever came to talk to me in the first place was because he knew who I was! Because I was famous! That's the only reason you hung out with me! You aren't my friend! And Hermione, I don't even _know_ why you talked to me, but you _both_ betrayed me so you aren't either. I don't want to see either of you in here again." He said in a growl, fixing the two of them in a glare. Both were too stunned to speak. Snape ushered them out of the room before Harry could go off again and closed the doors as the two walked away in stunned silence.

"Alienating your friends now, are you Potter? Too good for them, I suppose, now that you've got something else to get you attention." Snape taunted, and Harry could feel the satisfaction rolling off the man. He really was getting a kick out of this, the sick bastard.

"Like I said, they were never really my friends anyway. It's not like I ever had friends before I came here, so it won't be a big change." Harry said listlessly, and Snape had a reply of course.

"I suppose you always thought you were too good to associate with anyone else?" Snape sneered, his lip curling.

"Not that you would care or anything, but no. My cousin beat up anyone who tried to talk to me, so after awhile people learned to stay away from me. He didn't want me to have friends, I suppose." Harry said, and he could feel the surprise and then doubt emanating from the man.

"Another attention seeking technique, Potter? Well, it won't work. You won't get any sympathy from me." Snape said, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Like I expected any. I know you hate me. I don't care either way because I hate you too. Maybe not as much as you hate me, but it's a close second." Harry said, shaking his head. He couldn't believe he was having a conversation with the man, let alone one that kept going around and around and was essentially the same conversation over and over again. Insult followed by insult followed by insult, which resulted in the same. Harry laughed again. "You know, you're eventually going to run out of snide comments if we keep up this conversation, so why not end it here?" Harry asked. He was tired of the man's voice already.

"What's the matter, Potter? Giving up already?" Snape asked mockingly.

"No, I just didn't want to have the gory mess on me when your head explodes, as it probably will once you realize that you've finally run out of childish comments to throw at me." Harry said with a smirk, receiving a glare from the other man followed by a wand to the throat.

"Don't try my patience, Potter. I have very little as it is with you." Snape said.

"Well that much is clear. What's the matter? Can't handle a few insults? What would your Slytherins think? Bested by the famous bloody idiot with a scar on his forehead. They would be _so_ proud." Harry said, and he felt the tip of the wand dig into his neck, and where it was pressed the skin began to burn, but he didn't flinch or pull away. Soon, the smell of burning flesh permeated the air and Snape pulled his wand away with a start. He had obviously not realized what he was doing.

"Stupid boy, why did you not tell me I was burning you? Now I need a burn salve." Snape said, throwing his arms up in annoyance.

"It's not like it matters. This pain is nothing." Harry said, rolling his eyes. It hurt, but not in comparison to some of the other various things he had been through, especially at Hogwarts. The basilisk venom had hurt the most, he supposed. That, along with the Harry-hunting, which was a favorite sport of Dudley's, and his dear aunty and uncle, had prepared Harry for most every kind of pain there was. He had learned early on to be able to mentally block out the worst kinds of pain. Snape left the hospital wing, much to the relief of the chained teen, but came back in within minutes with a small jar of potion. He unscrewed the cap and took a small amount out onto his finger, smearing it on the burn on Harry's neck.

"Stop trying to act tough, Potter. If something is actually hurting you, you should tell someone." He sneered, but without his usual bite behind it.

"Whatever. Like anyone would care." Harry said, shrugging.

"Potter, as if you didn't know, half the bloody wizarding world would flip out if you broke a nail, so stop being so melodramatic." Snape sneered, rolling his eyes.

"Well, they're all bloody idiots." Harry said savagely in response. Turning his head, he said softly enough so he couldn't be heard, "Besides, it's not like I'm not used to pain, and no one's ever done anything about it before."

He was glad that Remus wasn't around because he definitely would have heard that.

"What was that, Potter?" Snape asked, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Nothing, sir." He replied bitingly, not looking back at the infuriating man.

"Potter, if you do not wish me to think you are being disrespectful and take off points in retaliation, which I assure you I am only too happy to do, I suggest you speak up." Snape sneered, and Harry said nothing. He knew that whether he retaliated or not, Snape would keep on this train for awhile like he did in class, so he decided to let his attention shift to the smells around him. Ignoring his potions professor, Hogwarts actually smelled fairly pleasant, though it did have a distinct smell of mildew lingering about it. He sighed, closing his eyes. Maybe if he could just fall asleep, Snape would take the hint and leave, though it was unlikely. He didn't want to be in his company anymore than he had to, and he was surprised Snape was willingly staying in his company this long, even to insult him.

Breathing deeply in and out, his emotions bled away as he concentrated on the smells around him, deliberately skirting the annoying smell of the potions master as he searched around for something remotely interesting. The man wasn't deserving of his attention, at least, when he wasn't in class, and he wouldn't willingly give it. He found nothing of interest with his nose, so he concentrated his hearing, trying to tune out Snape as he listened for anyone who might approach and save him from this man's company for even a few minutes. Even though he would have liked to see anyone but Dumbledore right now, (excluding Snape, because in Harry's eyes he didn't qualify as a human being) he would thank even him for taking the insufferable bat of the dungeons out of his hair for awhile.

That feeling left him, however, when he actually smelled the man approaching. Now his stomach was knotting with anger. He had an undeniable respect for the man, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel angry at him. It was he who had placed him at the Dursleys; he who created his first prison. Harry had actually found out quite by accident. He had been going to the staff room to talk to McGonagall, and he overheard her talking to Flitwick. He had heard his name, so he couldn't resist listening in. It was quite a shock hearing that the headmaster had been the one to place him with those awful muggles. He almost didn't know what to say about it at the time, but he had certainly let him know how he felt about it earlier. The only problem now was that he relied on Snape for the potions, and as far as he could tell, the man was loyal to Dumbledore. He didn't think Dumbledore would withhold such an important potion, but he might put stipulations on it. The man got to the doors of the ward and Harry groaned. He didn't want to deal with him.

The doors opened and Albus Dumbledore came in, smiling benignly.

"Ah, you boys seem to be getting along splendidly." He said delightedly. Snape made a noise that most resembled something like "Pfff" and Harry actually commented, fixing the headmaster with a glare.

"I'm chained to a hospital bed with Snape for company, Professor. Excuse me if I'm not exactly pleased with the current situation." Harry said scathingly, rolling his eyes.

"_Professor_ Snape, Harry, and you two must learn to at least be civil. You will need him, Harry." The headmaster said, which was completely true, but right now Harry was vehemently against it.

"I will _never_ need him, Professor. He's a greasy foul git and I refuse to show respect to him on the grounds that he was a complete arse to me since the first time we met and I had given him no provocation to act that way toward me in the first place. I had never said a word to the man and he up and insults me in the first class we have together, Professor. The _only_ reason for the continual hatred on both sides now is because he's always a right git to me whether I do anything or not. He's always docking points for stupid things and he lets the Slytherins get away with some right foul things in class and out of it. I refuse to acknowledge him as a human being, let alone an equal until he stops being an arse that labors under the assumption that I'm just like my deceased father, which I am sure will never happen." Harry said, and he imagined that Dumbledore almost looked impressed for a second with his tirade before his expression turned to a disapproving frown.

"Now Harry, while some of that was very well reasoned, albeit interestingly worded, your first statement is untrue, and you knew that before saying it." Dumbledore said, and Harry still would not concede defeat.

"Headmaster; to convey this in the most intelligent way I can, you can liken the chances of Potter and I ever getting along to the chances of Lucius Malfoy allowing his son to marry a muggle. In other words, headmaster, it will never happen, nor will hoping for it ever make it happen. In addition, the feelings are the same in both scenarios. We would be appalled to ever consider it. And as for Potter not considering myself human, and as low a blow as this may be, whom is now a werewolf, and therefore a half breed, Potter?" Severus asked with a sneer, his lip curling.

"I admit that that was a most intelligent way to explain your feelings on this matter, Severus, however, I must request that you two try. It would be so much easier on the both of you if you could." Dumbledore said, and Harry, ignoring the old man, spoke.

"At least I'm _part_ human, you creepy vampire git. Tell me, do you take pleasure in human suffering, or just mine? And, though I hate to admit it, that most likely _was_ the best way to explain it. I would be appalled to even _consider_ ever being civil toward this vile excuse for an undead monster. It can and will _not_ happen in my lifetime, Professor. He made sure of that when he started in on my deceased father, which may I remind everyone present, is impolite to do _even_ for the undead." Harry said, glaring at said 'vampire'. Dumbledore sighed. He knew it was going to take some work, but he didn't imagine it would be this hard to even get the two to be civil in the first place.

"Harry, if you do not agree to take the Wolfsbane potion we will have to resort to more extreme measures to make sure you do not attack anyone on the full moon. We have just five days until term ends, and less than a month after that, there will be another full moon. You need to decide, Harry. Would you rather do this the easy way, or the hard way. I can assure you, you will not like the hard way." Dumbledore said, looking stern, which was a rare occurance in itself.

"What's the hard way, Professor?" Harry asked, looking at Dumbledore.

"Being chained up in a small room somewhere during the three days it will take, Harry. Do you really want that?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry looked thoughtful.

"As much as I hate imprisonment, I'm seriously considering it, Professor." Harry said, and he was telling the truth. He would rather be chained up somewhere than have to rely on Snape, but then what would happen once he went back to the Dursleys? Were they chaining him there?

"I must warn you then, Harry. Your transformations will be painful, no matter what. The Wolfsbane, however, should make it a little less so. The Wolfsbane Potion is made both to let a werewolf keep their human mind, and to alleviate some of the pain of transformation. I must ask you again, are you sure you do not want to take it?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Harry seriously.

"Yes, I'm sure Professor. I can handle pain; I don't care about that. I just _won't_ rely on him," Harry spat, gesturing toward Snape "unless I have to. I would rather chew my own legs off…without anesthetic." Harry said, resolute in the matter. He would only take Wolfsbane over the summer if he needed it.

"Very well, Harry. You have made yourself clear. We will find a suitable place at your relatives so that we can prepare you for your transformation. By the way, out of curiosity, Harry, what is anesthetic?" Dumbledore asked, looking curious.

"Er, it's a form of muggle pain reliever they use in hospitals." Harry said, nonplussed. Dumbledore smiled.

"Very well. Come along, Severus. I think we should leave young Harry here alone for awhile. I daresay he tires of both our presences." Dumbledore said with a knowing wink. Harry blushed, but then he remembered something and quickly spoke up.

"Sir! Wait!" Harry said as Dumbledore turned around to leave.

"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, looking politely interested.

"Do I have to go back to go back there? Can't I stay here somewhere?" Harry asked, trying to keep the plea out of his voice.

"I apologize Harry, but it is the safest place for you right now." Dumbledore said, not noticing the flash of anger in Harry's eyes. With that he left, Snape following him closely and muttering. He must have thought Harry wouldn't have been able to hear him but he was wrong.

"Headmaster, you do realize that by the night of his first transformation, he will be begging me for that potion?" Snape asked quietly.

"Yes, my dear boy. I believe you are quite right. Will you brew it and keep it in stock until then, Severus?" the headmaster asked.

"Yes, headmaster; It will take nearly that long to prepare anyway." Snape said, and Harry could almost hear his smirk at the fact the headmaster thought he was right. Harry gave an annoyed sniff. He would never beg for it, though he was pretty sure the headmaster would not have answered that way had he known Harry could hear them. So, it seemed that the increased senses in the human form of a werewolf weren't common knowledge. Harry could see where that would certainly give the infected party advantages. After all, he was sure that most werewolves weren't exactly willing to sit down for an interview, so he was pretty sure he'd be discovering numerous unknown facts about himself as time passed. He smiled at that. _He_ certainly wouldn't tell anyone, and this could definitely help him immensely. He wondered if he could distinguish his own kind by smell. There was no distinct scent on Remus earlier, but then, he was just noticing his newly honed senses at that time.

He could smell emotions, for lack of a better term. He could also at least hazard guesses at who people were by identifying the different smells that made up the scent of a different person. He had recognized Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Snape fairly easily, but that was because he knew their past times. Most related to their scents somehow, which Harry found funny, yet not very strange, as it would make sense. Now that he thought about Dumbledore's assumption, though, he wondered if the man had ever even looked in at his life at private drive. Thinking of how the headmaster spoke to him as opposed to about him when he thought Harry couldn't hear, he supposed not. The man was always patronizing him. He knew he was only thirteen, but it was exceedingly annoying, not to mention galling that they would assume he was just a child. He had been through so much more than any other boy his age.

He was almost tempted to shout at them that he was not a child, nor had he been in a long time, but he also knew that the act in itself would be seen as petulant and childish. He had managed to hold his tongue so far, but only just, and it was becoming frustrating. He liked almost none of the adult figures in his life, with the exception of Remus. Dumbledore, while being the hero of his first two and a half years at Hogwarts, had been revealed to Harry roughly halfway through his third year to be the one who had left him with the Dursleys. He had almost no respect for the man left after that. Even if he had been looking in on him like any responsible person should have done, he would then be proven insane for leaving him with those people for damn near a decade; more, now. It was his third year, after all, and he still had to go back to those damned muggles this summer. Dumbledore is such an idiot.

The man was either a sadist or he was blissfully ignorant, either of which would have pissed Harry off. So, not knowing the answer, he hated him anyway because it could only be one or the other. He was almost tempted to try to step out of the insane megalomaniac's way and let him destroy the old man, the two aforementioned parties being obvious. It wasn't like he really thought he could defeat Voldemort. The man was a dangerous, powerful lunatic even without a body, and that was _not_ a good combination. He had no idea why the man was after him, and after Harry thought about it, for being someone Voldemort feared, Dumbledore was disturbingly inactive when it came to Voldemort screwing around with Hogwarts, and more specifically Harry. Why had the man sat back in his first and second years when Voldemort was so obviously involved with the two incidents that had happened in those years? Both times, fate, and Harry's own stupidity, had thrust him into the center of both events, and he was determined _not_ to let it happen to him again.

He would fight like hell to prevent it, in fact. Why him, he had to wonder silently. Why did fate hate him? What the hell had he done in his past life to deserve a murderous megalomaniac coming after his family when he was a baby? He laughed. Some, if not most of those questions would never be answered. He sighed, breaking out of his thoughts as he explored Hogwarts a little more with his new honed senses. He amused himself by trying to make out the scents of people he knew, though he wouldn't know if he guessed right until he was out of the hospital wing. A thought then occurred to him that scared him for only the second time since he had been infected. What if another student came into the hospital wing and wondered why he was chained to the bed? How the bloody hell would he explain it, and would they figure out? Would anyone be smart enough to do so? He really didn't want to know. Wait…bloody hell! Damn damn damn! Snape knew!

He didn't ask for discretion, and Snape knew! Oh, god. The prophet would know by tomorrow morning. His life was all but over! Would they even let him come back to Hogwarts? He started to go into all out panic at the thought of not coming back to Hogwarts. Soon, he was struggling to breathe as a panic attack overtook him. He would never come home again! What would he do? No no no…why had he let this happen? Why couldn't he just run instead of standing there like an idiot and getting bitten? Breathe…he needed to breathe, but he couldn't. He couldn't breathe! Someone, anyone! He needed help! His head started swimming. He wasn't getting enough oxygen. After only about a minute of this, everything went black.

Ch. End


	4. The End of Term

**Ch. 4: The End of Term**

When he came to, Madam Pomfrey was attempting to change the bandage on his arm while working around the shackle, and without much luck in the endeavor. His head was swimming as he floated back to consciousness. When he finally became fully aware, she was still struggling with the task.

"You might as well give it up as a bad job. I can't remove this shackle and by the looks of it you can't either." Harry said, startling the medi-witch.

"Mr. Potter, how do you feel?" she asked, stopping her attempt at the bandage for now.

"Horrible. I couldn't breathe and I passed out. My head is swimming." Harry groaned, holding his head.

"Oh my…why didn't you make some noise? Why didn't you knock something over? I had assumed you fell asleep." Madam Pomfrey said, frowning.

"I…wasn't thinking straight. I wasn't breathing and that was kind of my first priority." Harry said, shrugging, though he had a red tinge on his face. She did a few diagnostic spells on him and shook her head.

"You had a panic attack, Mr. Potter. I assume you have never had one before?" she asked, and he shook his head. "If I may ask, what is it that got you so worked up?" she asked, and he shook his head. He didn't want to think about it. Tears sprung to his eyes. He would never come home again. He would leave for the summer and no one would want him to come back. "Very well; If you do not want to tell me, that is your choice, Mr. Potter. Just know, that I am here if you need to talk." She said kindly, brushing his bangs out of his face gently. Harry tried to smile, but he couldn't. "I am going to go talk to the headmaster about these chains, Mr. Potter. In the mean time, if you start to have another panic attack at any time, and you feel that you cannot breathe, you must remember to take slow, deep breaths to get your breathing back under control. It is imperative that you do this so you do not pass out again." She said, and Harry nodded.

Before she left, she took a potion out of her robe pocket and handed it to him. When he looked at her questioningly she explained what it was.

"It is a headache potion combined with a light sleeping potion. You need some real rest, Mr. Potter. Take it, if you please. I will be back." She said, and with that she went into her office. He shrugged and downed the potion, setting the bottle down and feeling drowsy almost right away. His head was swimming again, but in a mildly pleasant way. As he started to drift off, he noticed a somewhat comforting scent that he couldn't recognize. With a smile, he drifted off.

Harry slept for longer than he thought. When he went to sleep this time, he slept for three days, and when he awoke, he had less than a month left. It was the 29th of May, and he had twenty-five more days until the full moon. When he had come around, the ward had been blessedly empty save for Madam Pomfrey, and she informed him that though Dumbledore had given her the password to remove it and allow her to change the bandage, she was told to put it back on as soon as she was through. She made a point to express to him how much she disapproved of it, and Harry found his affection for the middle aged woman growing. Now that he had nothing better to do, pointedly ignoring his left over homework they had conveniently sat by him on the nightstand, he explored Hogwarts with his newly honed senses again. He could now more easily separate smells that made up a person's scent and therefore determine what that person spent most of their time doing.

Soon after, he thought about having to go back to the Dursleys this summer after everything that had happened, and he remembered what he was thinking about before he had passed out three days ago. The thoughts that had caused his panic attack. He worried about it for hours, the dread sitting in his stomach like a huge weight and causing him to refuse to eat. He couldn't think about food when he might be banned from his home. By the end of the day, though, he was finally released from the hospital wing and the chained bed, with the threat from the medi-witch that if he didn't eat dinner, she would find out and she would stick him to the floor where she found him and force feed him. Rather than going to the Great Hall and risk mass panic at his appearance, he would go down to the kitchens and get some food from the house elves there. He had noticed that the kitchen was there after seeing it on the Marauder's Map, and after some prodding, Fred and George had told him how to get in.

He quickly made his way down to the dungeons, he avoided anyone who might have still been in the corridors by smelling them out and detouring where it was needed. It took him about fifteen extra minutes because a few students were apparently late to dinner or skipping it altogether, and were wandering the corridors like himself, so when he finally got to the kitchens, he was relieved. He got enough to satisfy the house elves, who had been ordered to make sure he ate, either by dinner or the kitchen directly, and report back to the medi-witch. He was given, in what was his opinion, a few days worth of food and an entire flagon of pumpkin juice. He ended up having to carry the food in his invisibility cloak, which was the only thing large enough that he had on him to pack it in.

The flagon of pumpkin juice he had to carry separate. Surprisingly, despite his lack of appetite beforehand, he felt ravenous now. Instead of going back to Gryffindor tower, where he was sure to encounter someone sooner rather than later, he went up to the astronomy tower to eat. He ate quickly, and surprised himself by eating almost the whole lot and he drank the whole of the flagon of pumpkin juice. By the time he was done, he was full though he was hardly content. He wondered what would happen tomorrow. He didn't want to bother with the last day of class. Why get the summer homework if he wouldn't be able to do it anyway, let alone going back to Hogwarts? Would everyone avoid him? Would they demand he leave, and even bring it to not only the headmaster, but the board of governors? How far would this go? He almost didn't want to know.

Wait a minute…where had his broom gone? He had his wand back, having received it from the medi-witch, and his invisibility cloak and map were back in his bag, something he was sure had to do with his friends or Dumbledore. Scratch that. Ex-friends. Either way, he had most of his prized possessions except his Firebolt. He suspected that also had to do with the headmaster, unless Snape, who he recognized as the one who had captured him after he had woken up, had taken and kept it like the bastard he was. Somehow, Harry wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back against a stone wall. He liked it up here, for whatever reason. He was going to miss Hogwarts. He had had a home for nearly three years, and now it was going to be taken from him. Just like everything else. Just like his parents. Just like Remus. Just like Sirius was, for twelve damned years, and now he was gone again, though Harry knew it was necessary.

He sighed and let the tears building up run down his face. Damn Snape! Damn it! There was no way the git had kept it private. He had probably told all the Slytherins just like he had told them about Remus. He had every reason to. He wanted Harry gone as much as he had wanted Remus gone. Harry shook with barely audible sobs. He would have nothing left. The Dursleys would burn all of his things and he couldn't do anything about it. If he was being kicked out of Hogwarts, they were most likely going to snap his wand. He would have nothing over the stupid muggles, and as soon as he got back there, without the threat of magic, they would take everything and burn it. He would be defenseless and alone again. Why couldn't he have a family that loved him? Why couldn't he have a family like Ron's? He covered his face with his hands, shaking violently with his sobs. He hated Snape. He hated Dumbledore. And now, because of how he treated them, his friends probably hated _him_.

Why couldn't he have just died with his parents? It wasn't like his relatives didn't tell him the same all the time. They always said that he should have died with them, and this is the first time he found himself agreeing with the arseholes. They never wanted him. Why had they kept him anyway? It wasn't like he was ever useful for anything except a house slave, and he couldn't do half the things they had told him to do correctly. Would anyone in the wizarding world care if he just disappeared? Especially now, considering what he was. He was contaminated. He was filthy. He was everything they had told him he was; all those nasty names that used to hurt him. His relatives' voices rang in his head, and he started to believe all of it. He was a horrible, filthy little monster, and the world would be better off if he just went off and died somewhere.

He didn't notice the scent of the person coming toward him as he stood up and went over to the open widow of the astronomy tower. He looked down. It was a long way. It would be quick and painless. He could stay here forever. He would walk the halls in death if he couldn't in life. More tears fell, dampening the stone beneath his hands as he stared down at the grounds, still shaking with sobs. He never noticed the footsteps behind him as he started to climb out of the stone window, and indeed he only noticed the person when he was roughly pulled back and thrown against the stone wall opposite the window.

"Stupid boy! What do you think you're doing?" the person hissed, and Harry, not caring who it was, sagged to the floor.

"Doing everyone a favor." Harry mumbled, looking down at his lap. He was still sobbing pathetically. The person was silent for a moment.

"What are you talking about? You're the savior of the wizarding world. What problems could you possibly have that would lead you to this idiotic conclusion?" the person asked, his voice full of disdain.

"Not mine. Everyone else's; they were right. I should have died with them." Harry said, drawing his knees up against himself as his tears continued.

"They who? Who told you this?" the voice asked, speaking a little more gently than last time.

"My aunt, my uncle. Does it matter? I know everyone thinks it, or at least they probably do now. It was just a stupid mistake that I survived anyway." Harry said, laughing through the tears though the laughs were punctuated by sobs. He was roughly grabbed by the shoulders.

"It was _not_ a mistake! Your mother gave her life to protect you! You're going to throw that away?" the person hissed, squeezing his shoulders.

"If I can't come back, it doesn't matter to me. I don't have anyone that cares about me. As soon as I'm back there, they'd burn all of my things anyway, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. Hogwarts is all I have. If I can't come back, I have no reason to live." Harry said, breaking down again into sobs.

"What are you talking about? Why would you not be able to come back?" the voice asked, sounding disbelieving.

"Ha. Like they want someone like me here. Even if I were allowed to come back, a ton of parents would keep their kids out of school just to keep them safe from me. I don't think that they'd let me come back, considering what I am and what kind of danger I would be to everyone else. Besides that, everyone would be scared of me or hate me anyway." Harry said, wiping his face.

"Your fame matters that much to you?" he asked disdainfully.

"No, just my home and my friends. Well, if I had any friends left. If everyone is scared of me, they're not going to let me come back. They won't care what happens to me, as long as they don't have to see me. It's almost a given that they wouldn't anyway. Not after this summer." Harry said, his heart clenching. He wondered if he could survive another summer. His bruises and broken bones seemed to heal quickly enough, but given enough time he would be collecting plenty more scars. Especially once they knew he wasn't going back. He shuddered to think of what they might do.

"You do realize that hardly anyone knows about your new condition, don't you?" he asked, and Harry started.

"Then…how do you know?" Harry asked, and his eyes widened as he finally looked up at the person. "Snape?" Harry asked, wiping his eyes hurriedly. He couldn't believe he was crying in front of the man. "What do you mean hardly anyone knows? You didn't tell them?" Harry asked incredulously, standing up and keeping himself on the wall and away from Snape.

"No, I did not. I told them about Lupin because he was an unnecessary danger to the students. He had already proven that by forgetting to take his potion, and the end result was another being infected. If he had just paid attention and taken his potion we would not have had this problem." Snape said disdainfully, but Harry was stunned. Snape hadn't told anyone.

"…thank you." Harry said quietly. At least he hadn't told anyone.

"Excuse me?" Snape asked, looking as though he couldn't believe Harry was saying it.

"Thank you for not telling anyone, Professor. Does this mean I'll be able to come back, or can I not now that you know I'm…infected?" Harry asked, not looking at the man.

"You would have to talk to the headmaster about that, Potter, but I seriously doubt he would keep you away. You're the bloody savior of the wizarding world. You're his favorite student, although I'm loath to admit it." Snape said, sounding annoyed.

"Thank god. I don't know what they'd do to me if I told them I'd been kicked out." Harry said quietly, thinking about the possibilities and shuddering. Snape frowned at this.

"What would they do?" Snape asked, guessing he was talking about his relatives. Harry seemed to realize who he was talking to because he shut down a moment later.

"Nothing. They'd probably just send me to some stupid muggle school if they found out." Harry lied, not looking at the man. Snape was troubled. He knew Harry was lying, but pushing at this point in time was _not_ the best course of action.

"Indeed. Now, as fun as this little chat has been, you should be getting back to your common room before curfew. Oh, and if I ever hear about another attempt to take your own life, you _will_ be expelled, do you hear me Potter?" Snape asked, and Harry nodded, flushing with embarrassment. He couldn't believe he had let Snape find him in such a vulnerable state.

"P-Professor?" Harry asked as he paused at the door after gathering his things.

"Yes, Potter?" he sighed, shaking his head.

"I…can I…have the Wolfsbane potion after all?" Harry asked, biting his lip. At least he knew that someone would make sure he got it over the summer if nothing else. Snape sighed again and shook his head.

"Yes Potter. Now go back to your tower." Snape said, and as Harry left he never saw the smirk cross Snape's face. It had been easier to convince Harry to take it after that little episode. As he was walking back to Gryffindor tower, he realized something. Shit! He'd never asked Snape for his Firebolt back! He stopped in the middle of the hallway and considered going back for a moment. Snape was still up there and he didn't seem to be moving, but maybe he wanted to be alone. Maybe he liked it up there too, and he had just happened to arrive at the right moment. Harry decided to go back to the common room for tonight. He still had tomorrow to get it back. If he hadn't tried to destroy it yet, then he probably wouldn't. After all, he could have told everyone about Harry being a werewolf, but he hadn't. Maybe he wasn't a complete bastard. Harry shook his head at that and smiled.

At the last moment, he decided to put his invisibility cloak on before he went into the common room. He didn't want anyone to see that he'd been crying. He hurriedly stuffed what little food was left into his bag and slipped the empty flagon under his cloak. The house elves would most likely come to get it anyway, so he would just set it by his bed. He whispered the password to the fat lady, let her swing forward, and silently made his way up to the dormitory. The portrait opening by itself had drawn roughly half the eyes in the common room, but Ron and Hermione, he noticed, were the only ones able to track his approximate progress. He smiled. They knew him too well. He couldn't believe what a right arse he'd been to them, but he hoped that maybe they would eventually forgive him. Mercifully, neither got up, so he was able to go into the empty dormitory and not draw any attention to himself.

He thanked them silently and put his things away in his trunk, setting the empty flagon unobtrusively on the floor between his bed and the nightstand. He then dressed quickly in his pajamas and got into bed, closing his hangings around him. It took him a bit to fall asleep, but he thankfully did so before his other dorm mates decided to go to bed, and didn't have to deal with any awkward questions. Especially since his arm was still bandaged. He could hide it well enough in robes, but pajamas were another story entirely. He didn't want anyone guessing, because he could only imagine what that would do to Remus' reputation and his career options, already being as limited as they were. His dreams were thankfully peaceful.

As a consequence of going to sleep so early, he woke up earlier than he would have liked as well, but as a positive, he was able to shower, dress, and leave the tower with his school things before anyone was awake. He noticed that the empty flagon was indeed gone. He decided that since it was too early to have breakfast in the Great Hall, he would get some things from the kitchen and eat in the Astronomy tower again. As a means of both privacy and self preservation (he was going into the dungeons to get to the kitchen after all), he wore his invisibility cloak around the school. His robes already hid his arm, so he wasn't worried about that. He just didn't want to deal with anyone today until he had to. There may have been a few early risers like him, but any students stayed in their common rooms. He encountered a few teachers purely by smell, but none of them were near him except Snape. He, however, was in his office. The only reason he could tell he was awake was because he moved around the room occasionally.

Harry got his food from the house elves rather easily, and after doing that, he went up to the Astronomy tower to eat. He was in quite a different mood this time, and after he ate, finishing the food in his pack as well along with the half flagon of pumpkin juice he had been given, he set the flagon aside and decided to go for a walk on the grounds, re-donning his cloak and walking around the lake slowly until the sun had risen. He cast a quick tempus that said he had to be to his first class, Transfiguration, in five minutes. Staying under his cloak, he ran back around the lake, through the grounds, into the castle, and through the corridors until he reached the Transfiguration classroom. Looking around, he stepped into a side corridor, pulled off the cloak, and stuffed it into his bag, entering the classroom and sitting at a desk in the back by himself. Most of the class was already here, and that included Ron and Hermione.

They hadn't noticed he was there yet, and he had the sudden urge to just skive off classes today and get the summer homework later. He decided, however, to just stick it out and he got through the class just fine. They just took notes for the whole class, and they were assigned their summer homework in the last five minutes before it ended. The rest of the day's classes were the same, and Harry, even if he sat with anyone, kept to himself. He planned to talk to the headmaster today and get his broom back from Snape if it killed him, right after classes. In that order, mind you. After class he disappeared into a side corridor again and slipped back into his cloak, heading toward the headmaster's office. He might not know the password, but he could easily guess. It was always the name of some wizarding or muggle sweet. He would just guess until he got it right. After around his 8th guess, he got it right. It happened to be 'Fizzing Whizzbee' at the moment.

As he rode up the spiral staircase, he took of his invisibility cloak and stowed it in his bag. At the annoyingly familiar call of 'Enter' he opened the door and looked at the headmaster.

"Harry. To what do I own this unexpected visit?" Dumbledore asked, smiling. Harry stepped further into the office, ignoring his surroundings in lieu of keeping his mind on topic.

"I was wondering sir…er…that is…now that you know about my…er…condition…I was wondering…well…if I would be allowed to come back to Hogwarts…next year I mean." Harry said haltingly, nervous that the man would say no. He didn't think he could handle losing his home.

"Why of course, Harry. Why would you think I would keep you away?" Dumbledore asked curiously, and Harry willed himself not to shout the multiple answers his mind had dredged up instantly, like 'Because you're the arsehole that allowed my family to abuse me!', or 'Because you're a sadistic bastard that leaves me to rot with muggles you know are no good!', or even 'Because I don't trust you to do what's good for me! Only what you feel is best for whatever stupid little plans you have brewing in your insane head!' Instead, he answered calmly with a lie.

"I dunno sir. I just didn't know how you might react now that I'm…now that I'm different." Harry said lamely, although part of that was truthful.

"No Harry, certainly not." Dumbledore said, smiling at him. Oh, so his plans must involve keeping Harry close at hand. Harry could live with that right now, seeing as he could come back to Hogwarts. He could defy any stupid plans the man had for him after he was able to secure a place away from the awful muggles that he had to go back to in just two short days.

"Thank you sir. I'll just be on my way then." Harry said, forcing himself to smile before he turned back toward the door. Stupid old fool. He wouldn't bother asking the man to put him elsewhere again. He would just ignore Harry again and tell him it was for the best. For the best his ass; he'd had scars on his back way before the Lupin incident, as there was only so much magic could heal. Magic had sped up his body's natural healing process, but that didn't make it any less natural, hence he still had scars from anything that would naturally leave them. They just tended to be in places he didn't normally show other people, for which he was grateful. Like anyone would really believe that Harry Potter was being abused. Yeah right. Maybe if they were severly mentally damaged, although he was beginning to think the Headmaster might just be.

The man had to be if he was either truly ignorant of Harry's predicament or if he truly didn't care that a child was being treated that way, much less a child that had somehow brought about the fall of the Dark Lord, something that many people had been trying to do for years beforehand in some way or another. Well, Harry was having none of it. He had respected the man for a little over two years now and now that he knew the man didn't care enough about him to either check up on him or take him out of an abusive home, he couldn't feel the same way about him. It hurt, it really did, losing the respect you held for your first friendly adult figure, but he couldn't reconcile himself with the fact that the man was ignorant or a plain out arsehole and still keep his respect for him. He may not be old enough to choose where he wanted to live but he was old enough to know that the man making those decisions for him should not be nor should he have ever been in charge of his welfare.

Harry made his way back through the corridors and down to the dungeons, intent upon getting his broomstick back if Snape would give it up. If not, he would try to convince the man, and if all else failed, he would appeal to the headmaster, because as much as he hated the man, Harry knew the man would try to keep him relatively happy to keep him on his side, with the exception of making him go back to the Dursleys. At least he could go back to Hogwarts next year though. He couldn't bear the thought of never coming home again. He neared Snape's office and he breathed in deeply before knocking, breathing in the man's scent as he did. It was an odd sort of smell, but not absolutely abhorring. At the command to enter, he did so, seeing the man working on grading student papers even now. When he looked up, he sneered at Harry, as he was usually wont to do.

"Mr. Potter? To what do I owe the…pleasure?" his lip curled unpleasantly at the last word.

"Er…I was wondering, sir…well…I wanted to know if I could have my broom back." Harry said awkwardly, hoping the man wouldn't be difficult. Snape leaned back with a smirk, and Harry knew it was coming before he said it.

"And why would I return it, Mr. Potter? So you can try to run off again, perhaps?" he sneered, temporarily forgetting about the papers on his desk.

"I…wouldn't try to, sir. I just…I wanted it back before I went home, is all. Professor Dumbledore said that I could come back next year, and I wanted it for Quidditch." Harry said, looking at the floor rather than the dark man in front of him.

"And you wouldn't use it during the summer?" Snape asked mockingly, and Harry ignored the tone, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't be allowed. All my school things are always locked in the cupboard under the stairs right when I get…back there." Harry finished somewhat lamely. He would never call the place home. It wasn't.

"Then you wouldn't need it over the summer anyway, would you? I think I'll just keep it here since you wouldn't be able to use it anyway." Snape said nastily, and Harry's head shot back up as he stared at him disbelievingly.

"W-why? If I were to go…somewhere else during the summer, I could use it there! Why won't you give it back?" he asked, feeling his anger for the man start to rise. Snape just smirked.

"The answer is no, Potter. Now why don't you run along to your dorm and cry to your little friends?" Snape sneered, his lip curled in a nasty smirk. Harry said nothing. He just glared at the man, turned, and left the office. Stupid Snape! Harry had thought wrong earlier. The man was _always_ a bastard and always would be! He couldn't believe he wouldn't give him back his broom! Now that Harry thought about it, though, appealing to the Headmaster was not something he really wanted to do. He might go to McGonagall, but he wanted to be around the Headmaster as least as possible. Besides that, he may just agree with Snape's assessment that if Harry had access to the broom during the holiday he would try to use it to run away, which Harry was seriously considering should he ever get it back. Vernon would already try to kill him once he got back for blowing up Aunt Marge, ignoring the unspoken threat that bigger and badder wizards would come after him if he managed to do so.

He would probably burn all of Harry's school things anyway, once he got back. Then he would lock him in his room and he would most likely once again forbid him from going back to Hogwarts, if he didn't literally kill him. Either way, he would get one hell of a beating. Harry wouldn't stand for it, of course, but it was still the fact that they would try. Maybe his broom was safer here, where it couldn't get in the way if Harry tried to defend himself from Vernon and his meaty hands. He didn't know how strong the handle of his broomstick was, but he was _not_ willing to find out. He laughed bitterly. Maybe Snape's office _was_ the best place for it at the moment, though the man was only keeping it to be an arse. Harry thought about his newfound strength and smiled. He wondered exactly how strong he was. He might well be strong enough to rip a muggle door off its hinges, and he might even be strong enough to stop Uncle Vernon from beating him. If he was, he damn well wouldn't stand for them taking his things. He definitely wouldn't stand for the beatings or being locked in his room and starved.

Harry shivered with anticipation as he thought of the possibilities. He didn't need his broom to travel fast or even far, if he thought about it. He could run. He smiled then. He wondered how long, how fast, and how far he could run. He longed to test his limits already, and he fleetingly thought about running alongside the Hogwarts express on its way back to London but quickly discarded the idea as frivolous and stupid. He had to remind himself that he didn't want everyone to know how he had changed. Admittedly he hadn't worn his glasses to class that day, but he didn't need them anymore and he wouldn't put them on for the sake of appearances since they would only hurt his eyes now. If need be, if anyone did ask him and he felt the desire to respond, he would tell them his vision was fixed with a spell while in the hospital wing. He would tell Ron and Hermione the truth if they ever made up, but no one else need know. No one else had commented on it, but then no one he had actually talked to recently would care enough to make the observation.

Harry's thoughts broke off as he reached the portrait hole. He took a deep breath, said the password, and stepped inside. He had nowhere else to be and he would rather eat dinner in his tower than down in the Great Hall. He slumped through the mercifully empty common room and made his way up to his hopefully equally empty dorm room. He was glad everyone else was at the leaving feast because he didn't want to deal with anyone. He finally reached his dorm, which was as empty as he had hoped, and his heart leapt when he looked at his bed. His Firebolt was laid out on it, looking as good as ever. Harry smiled. Either someone took it without Snape's knowledge or Snape wasn't the bastard he was making himself out to be again. Either way, it didn't matter. He had his broom back! He raced over to the bed and picked it up, looking it over to find any minute damage that hadn't been there before, and he could find none. It was still as flawless as it was when he last had it in his possession. Harry beamed. Carefully, he propped it up against the wall between his bed and the nightstand.

Then he decided to pack up his trunk, which didn't take much really. He kept most of his stuff in his trunk anyway, and he didn't feel the need to repack the whole thing, so he just dropped his school bag and a few miscellaneous items around his area into the thing. After everything else was in, he carefully laid his Firebolt inside it, closing and locking the trunk afterward. Now the only thing he had out was his wand and the clothes on his back. He groaned. He had forgotten to get pajamas out along with clothes for tomorrow. He hurriedly did just that and he changed into his pajamas as soon as he was done gathering his clothes, shoving his worn clothes back in the trunk and locking it once more while he set his clothing for tomorrow on the top of the trunk. After he was done, he lay down on his four poster bed, thinking about having to go back to Private Drive. He wondered what he might do if he ran away. Sighing, he closed the hangings on the four poster bed. He wanted at least a bit of privacy if nothing else before everyone got back from the feast.

Closing his mind off from his tumultuous thoughts about what would happen once he returned to the Dursleys' for the summer, he cleared his mind and extended his senses once again, allowing the action to soothe him before he drifted off into an easy sleep.

Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express with a sigh. He looked back at the castle with a longing before he found an empty compartment at the end of the train and put his luggage away in it, sitting down and staring out the window at his home. For some reason, and Harry thought he knew why, it hurt more than ever to leave his home. He felt a physical pain in his chest, and thought that this must be what heartbreak felt like. He figured it was most likely because of his increased emotions, but the sheer power of the feeling that hit him almost had him in tears; gasping for breath as sobs broke out in the air around him. He almost couldn't handle it. He never wanted to leave, but this…it was unbearable. He hugged himself and forced himself to stay sitting. He knew he had to go back, but that didn't change anything except his level of hatred for one Albus Dumbledore. He wanted to destroy the man in every way possible right now for putting him through all this; for ignoring his pleading to stay anywhere but the Dursleys'.

He hated the way the headmaster would always just smile at him and tell him it was for the best. He could have bitten the man the last time the phrase fell from his lips, and probably would have if not for the fact that he had been chained to a damned hospital bed. He would never let them do so again if he could help it, and if they still did so, Harry would do everything in his power to strike back at them, and damn the repercussions. He would rather die than be enslaved to Albus Dumbledore, and he would gladly tell him so with all the vitriol in his voice that he felt at that moment. He hated the man more than he hated Snape, and that thought came as a huge surprise to him. He didn't think he could hate anyone more than he hated Snape, but the man seemed to be winning, or rather, losing in that aspect. Dumbledore had willingly, as it seemed, condemned him to his own personal version of hell in the form of his childhood, and that took the top spot no question.

With these thoughts in mind, he began to revaluate his thoughts and feelings about the odd potions master. He found that despite appearing to loathe Harry, he had withheld the information from the public concerning Harry's new condition, and he had, it seemed, returned Harry's broom, his most prized possession, in the same condition it had been in when Harry had last had it in his grasp. Not even a new scratch to the polish on the handle. He would have thanked the man if he would have thought it would have done any good, but then even if he wanted to, he was still barred by the conversation he had had with the man last night. He was being deliberately vindictive where he didn't need to be, when he could have just sneered and told him he had already sent it up. He had allowed Harry to stew on it the entire way to the common room and up to his dorm before finding it whole and undamaged on his bed. He was thankful, but the pure loathing with which he treated Harry had hurt the teen on some deep level that he felt he could never understand.

Why should he care that Severus Snape, the greasy git of the dungeons, hated him? Their mutual hatred originally stemmed from the man, after all. Harry might have even liked potions class to this day if the man hadn't been such a git, instead of dreading it like he always did. He had been entirely interested the first day, and then Snape had verbally crushed him like he was nothing more than an annoying insect in the professor's way. He hadn't understood why the man was such an arsehole, but after that first day, the man continued with his treatment, and every time, Harry felt his animosity for the man grow bit by bit. Now, he almost couldn't fathom trying to be civil toward the man when he would only get childish animosity as a response, though that didn't stop him from wanting it to happen somewhere deep in his mind. His thoughts moved back to his condition almost unwillingly. Snape hadn't given Harry any potions yet, and come to think of it, he had said something about it taking quite awhile, so he supposed the man might just deliver it via owl post. _Not_ a good idea, if his uncle's reaction to the creatures was anything to go by.

The man would probably have already killed Hedwig if not for the fact that Harry would have ended up telling someone at the school and having someone come after him. Harry wondered briefly how his uncle could possibly ignore the fact that something worse would happen to him if the wizarding world ever found out what they were doing to him, or if he ever tried to kill him, which he probably would this summer when he returned. Then he dismissed it. Hate can overshadow a lot of things, including common sense, or so Harry reasoned. It was the fact that his relatives had hated him his whole life, and so they probably believed, in their own stupid way, that no one in the wizarding world could possibly care for Harry either, and in conclusion had thought that no one would then care how they treated him, and that suited them just fine. Harry hated them all, but in the summers prior, he could do nothing because he couldn't use magic. Now he was going to at least prevent the beatings and he definitely would _not_ stay locked in his godforsaken room. He wouldn't let the muggles suppress him anymore if he could damn well help it.

He _would_ get his potions and he _would_ take them because he would rather not be found out by the ministry or anyone else for that matter, and he certainly didn't want to kill or infect anyone. He knew that either prospect, being found out as a werewolf, or murder, which was a likely result, would ruin him and he couldn't allow that to happen. If either, it would most likely be both, so he decided he would rather swallow his pride and take Snape's potion than transform without it at the full moon. He couldn't risk becoming a fugitive at this point when he was only three years into his magical education. If he were found out after he graduated Hogwarts, it wouldn't be as bad because he would be of age, and he would have the trace off him and would be able to use magic. If anything were to happen anytime soon he would only dig himself in deeper, so he would have to grin and bear it. Yeah. Right, grin. He almost laughed aloud at that. He would have, if he weren't just crying minutes before. He sighed and wiped his face on his robes. It was going to be a long summer; especially with the mood swings.

End Ch


End file.
